Rio South Texas: Workforce At The Ready
Workforce—it is an often talked about subject among economic developers and site selectors, and for good reason. To no surprise to anyone, workforce availability can be the deciding factor when expanding or relocating an enterprise. In the Rio South Texas Region—a seven-county region in deep South Texas that enjoys locational advantages by sharing the border with neighboring northern Mexico, workforce has continued to be a leading reason the region is able to retain, attract and recruit new industry. Moreover, the region is home to a strong support network of several institutions of higher education, technical schools, and job training and placement agencies.
Neighboring Mexico is known as a manufacturing powerhouse. For more than 50 years, it has proven to be an excellent location for manufacturing operations for more than 50 years. Over on the U.S. side, just across the border traversable by more than 20 international bridges that line the border from Brownsville to Laredo, sits one of the youngest populations and available workforces in the State of Texas, and the U.S. for that matter. The average age in this region is 31 years, with more than 228,000 available aged 19-34 in that workforce.
Equally impressive are the numerous players in the job training and readiness arena.
The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), recently named top-ranked University in Texas by Washington Monthly; Texas A&M University’s campus location in McAllen, Texas; and Texas A&M International University in Laredo represent the strong presence of universities in the area. All provide numerous programs aimed at skills development and job training, in addition to several degree programs that develop thousands of graduates in a variety of business, engineering, healthcare, and science disciplines annually.
South Texas College, with its lauded Technology Campus provides several programs in Advanced Manufacturing and has consistently provided the training and skills needed by area industry. They, along with Texas State Technical College, Texas Southmost College, and Laredo College, are flexible and can pivot, adjust, and tailor training programs to any new industry looking to expand operations in the region. “That’s what we do” claimed Carlos Margo, the Dean of Industry Training and Economic Development, when asked about their ability to meet demands in the industry. “We’ve trained personnel on new specific skills needed for specific companies’ numerous times. Too numerous to recall how many times, actually.”
Richard Mesquias, VP of External Relations and Workforce Development at Texas Southmost College, states “bring them on” when asked of the capacity to provide new skills and job readiness training.
David Ortiz, Director of the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center at UTRGV echoes this stance: “Our training programs have helped manufacturing, administrative, and other related staffs in numerous industries over the years. We’re ready for new industries when necessary.”
Rio South Texas, with its vast landscape of available properties, can now be known for its available and abundant workforce. The strong support network of job training programs, colleges, universities, and technical schools is proof.
To learn more, visit the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) at www.costep.org.
